I'm not counting this homerun or his 3 RBI from today's game because of the game situation. I'm not counting his pinch hit solo homerun in a blowout win in Colorado. In my book, Crede has 2 less home runs than his statistics show, 4 less RBI, and one less walk (the one where he pinch hit for Uribe after coming in with a 3-0 count and taking one pitch).

With high draft picks and loads of slot money for international picks the farm system will load up in 2014.

That's the real positive, but if anyone's looking at 2014, 2015, and probably even 2016 with the system we've currently assembled they're kidding themselves. And personally, I don't trust current management with picks to load up the system, so I'm looking at 2018 and 2019 (provided current management only sticks around two more years).

Why would you be a season's tickets holder for this team? I went to about 6 games this year, got cheap tix on-line and saw some good games (most notably, Mariano Rivera's last appearance at Sox Park). I didn't think this team was going to play past yesterday, but still liked watching some players (Rienzo, A. Garcia, Adam Dunn [still like him]) ... I think the team may be kind of okay next season... Go Bears!

Yes, and we've been here before with September call-ups. I'll trust my eyes more than September numbers.

Wait, wait, wait - you mean Brent Morel wasn't awesome?

We actually don't even have to wait for September in these parts - I hear Josh Phegley was destined to be great, too. That was several months ago. Naturally, he didn't need 1,000 plate appearances before we could adequately judge him.

We actually don't even have to wait for September in these parts - I hear Josh Phegley was destined to be great, too. That was several months ago. Naturally, he didn't need 1,000 plate appearances before we could adequately judge him.

I don't know what adjustment he made in the minors to look so good, but it's pretty obvious that the book on him prior to the half season minor league explosion was spot on. Probably should have traded him at the time.

We actually don't even have to wait for September in these parts - I hear Josh Phegley was destined to be great, too. That was several months ago. Naturally, he didn't need 1,000 plate appearances before we could adequately judge him.

You mean the September when Morel hit .230 with an OPS below .700?

Phegley will be back, I wouldn't give up on him. Kid has dealt with adversity before and works his butt off.

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March 16, 2005 - Another happy Sox fan joins the party!
July 6, 2012 - 7 years later he's still part of it...

That's the real positive, but if anyone's looking at 2014, 2015, and probably even 2016 with the system we've currently assembled they're kidding themselves. And personally, I don't trust current management with picks to load up the system, so I'm looking at 2018 and 2019 (provided current management only sticks around two more years).

We actually don't even have to wait for September in these parts - I hear Josh Phegley was destined to be great, too. That was several months ago. Naturally, he didn't need 1,000 plate appearances before we could adequately judge him.

You're thinking of Josh Fields.

Semien is for real. He has really impressive looking swing.

I never thought much of Phegley, which was reinforced after watching him this season.

If we're "competitive" in 2015, it'll be because we've built another 82 win stinker. Not because we built from a lasting core. I know being competitive means a lot to people, but trying to "compete" in 2015 would be a worst case scenario for the long term goals of our franchise (winning another WS).

"Genius is not replicable. Inspiration, though, is contagious, and multiform — and even just to see, close up, power and aggression made vulnerable to beauty is to feel inspired and (in a fleeting, mortal way) reconciled."
--David Foster Wallace, () "Roger Federer as Religious Experience"